Pride and Prejudice and Cahills
by ghibli-dork
Summary: All Aunt Beatrice wanted was to marry her off to the new wealthy neighbor so she could become a respectful housewife. All Amy wanted was for her to respectfully shut up. Especially when she uttered Ian's name. That rude, proud, and selfish idiot should've stayed in England... and not make Amy's heart flutter around him. A modern version of Mr. Darcy and Lizzie Bennett!
1. A Respectful Mission

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife," Aunt Beatrice read out loud, gazing at us scornfully with her piercing blue eyes. She put the newspaper down. "This is as true as it gets, girls. So I don't know why my eldest niece is reaching twenty-four and doesn't even have her first child, yet."

Yes, you read that right.

Nellie, the eldest in question, suddenly found the cushion's creamy fabric quite interesting.

"This afternoon you have a mission... a mission that goes by the codename of _Kabra_,"she continued. And yes, she was serious.

Reagan, my thirteen-year-old sister, and the youngest, somehow thought it was a joke. So she giggled.

Aunt Beatrice seemed horrified by the gesture. Her eyes were as wide as they could be, and her nostrils were flared up in shock. "Young lady! Those giggles send a boy the _wrong_ message."

I crossed my arms, frowning in amusement.

"There are two types of giggles," she proceeded to explain, her voice rapid and high-pitched, which always happened whenever she was frustrated. "The flirty giggle, and the classy giggle."

Yes, she was still being serious.

"Giggles like the one you just dared to let escape your mouth are considered flirty!" she finished off. She glared at my sixteen-year-old sister, Natalie. "You only hear those when you're around flirts."

Natalie, being the airhead she was, didn't catch the snub. Besides, she was too busy inspecting her cuticles. When she felt our aunt's eyes on her, she looked up and smiled charmingly. A charming smile that would make all the boys swoon.

"Hopeless," Aunt Beatrice muttered, shaking her head. Her head snapped toward us, her hair, which that month was a reddish hue, bobbing along with the movement. "Which is why I'm counting on you two to make this mission go right."

Nellie was a very obedient and respectful kid, so she was listening with a serene look in her face. I, however, was not Nellie. I was Amy Cahill, and I was looking at Aunt Beatrice as if she had just grown a third eye —the usual look I gave her.

"There are two very rich new neighbors, and as you know, the Starlings are holding a welcome barbecue party for them. We all know why... that family has no class, and has come up with such a disgraceful plan to have their Sinead end up with one of them. Girls, we have class, so we don't go around hunting for rich bachelors," Aunt Beatrice huffed.

Even Natalie had to look at Aunt Beatrice in an amused way.

"Well, our mission goes by two names: Ian Kabra and Theo Kabra. They're handsome, rich, and completely single," Aunt Beatrice explained. "Nellie, you're already turning twenty-four this year. And you, Amy, already turned twenty-three. You girls are in dire need of getting married before you become single for the rest of your lives. Which is why you need to take this as seriously as possible._ Even more_."

As she blabbered on about how we had to act that night, something I would certainly not do (I was being taken involuntarily, after all), I looked out the window, where we could see the Kabra's brand new house. Don't get me wrong, the suburbs we lived in had very beautiful houses. But the Kabra mansion looked out of place.

Just imagine this: you're driving around, seeing nothing but homy, two-storied homes, with their pretty gardens and the children's toys scattered on top of it. Maybe a dog barking to nothing in particular, the bycicles perched on the fence, and the sprinklers watering the green grass. When suddenly, you see this palace in the middle of everything with a professional-looking garden that takes up half of the street across. Yeah, that's how it looks.

That area should've been five houses, but the Kabras bought them and built their home instead.

It was easy to see how people like Aunt Beatrice could be so interested.

You're probably wondering why I was living with my aunt. Well, long story short, eight years ago, my parents passed away. I really don't like to remember the details, so let's just skip to the part where I'm in the car with my sisters, listening to Aunt Beatrice blabber on about how she'll make us 'fine ladies'. And then there's her husband, Uncle Charlie, trying to distract us from her crazy antics. But we still know we're in for a crazy ride with Loony Beatrice.

"I know I can at least count on you _Nellie_," Aunt Beatrice informed my older sister. She sent a sharp glance my way. "I know you won't mess up, dear."

Aunt Beatrice had always held a grudge against me for not marrying my senior year (first and so far only) boyfriend, Jake. When we graduated high school, he wanted to go to England and study History. But I wanted to stay in Boston, and become a pre-school teacher that owned a library or bakery of her own.

Nobody believed me whenever I told them that's what I wanted to do. Amy Cahill, that straight A's student who played every sport possible and participated in every club didn't want to study something nerdy? What? No way!

For a while, my Aunt Beatrice was proud of me. Until Jake and I parted ways. Jake was rich and handsome, so Aunt Beatrice was sure I'd become a rich housewife (which was what she wanted me to be). So her dreams? Shattered into tiny glass pieces.

"Now, girls," Aunt Beatrice breathed out, sitting up straighter. "Go and get ready for that barbecue!"

All four of us stood up. That's when I noticed Uncle Charlie leaning by the doorway, shaking his head at Aunt Beatrice's crazy antics. And I swear Saladin's, our Egyptian Mau, eyes were wider than usual. Dan, our eleven-year-old brother was laughing.

"Now girls, go and behave friendly with everybody there and don't stalk the Kabras," Aunt Beatrice giggled.

That was a joke.

* * *

**So this is me trying to fulfill one of my New Year's resolution: write an FF. And that story took the shape of a Pride and Prejudice AU. I'm not sure if anyone in the archive has done anything like this. And if someone has, then I'm sorry, but I didn't know :P Well, let's see when I can update. Bye bye!**


	2. A Respectful Accident

Mrs. Starling bared her teeth in what was supposed to be a smile as she opened the door and saw us. "Oh my God! Be-a-_trice_!" The forty-nine-year-old redhead exclaimed, hugging my aunt. "I'm so glad you could make it!"

"The one who should be glad is _me_," Aunt Beatrice gushed, smiling (which looked more like a grimace). "Your barbecue is simply delicious."

Mrs. Starling laughed, thanking my aunt.

The only sincerity in that exchange was the barbecue's compliment.

Uncle Charlie smiled. "Hello, Anna. How are you doing?"

"Good, thank you," Mrs. Starling answered politely.

Mrs. Starling proceeded to inspect us all, her eyes scrutinizing Natalie's way-too-stylish cable knit sweater dress, Reagan's colorful leggings, tutu, and dotted shirt (that week her style was some sort of funky), and my simple polo and shorts before waving us off as a circus show. She didn't even glance at Aunt Beatrice's blinding red summer dress, at Dan's wide green eyes trying to spot the food, or at Uncle Charlie's clearly bored expression. Who she settled on was Nellie, the only one who she thought worthy of competition for her daughter. Sinead was considered the prettiest in the whole neighborhood, so she shouldn't have trouble to get one of the Kabras's attention. But Nellie usually took the first place as the prettiest everywhere she went. And with her cardigan and humble yet cute summer dress, sweet look about her face, sincere smile, and beautiful personality... it was no wonder Mrs. Starling's plastered smile faltered.

Nellie slightly bowed her head in a salutation, smiling. "Thank you for inviting us, Mrs. Starling."

None of us did any other thing, so it was no wonder Aunt Beatrice pinched my arm.

I held back a cry of pain.

'Respectable ladies always greet others.'

"Yeah, thanks," I said, not knowing what else to add. It was not a respectful greeting, so Aunt Beatrice glared at me.

My siblings caught the menacing gaze and greeted Mrs. Starling.

"Oh, how lovely!" she exclaimed. She opened the door wider. "Please, do come in."

We all murmured our thanks, except Aunt Beatrice (who exclaimed it) and Nellie, who just smiled. Once we were inside, it was easy to spot the brand new neighbors.

They were good-looking.

I did not know which was whom, but one of them was talking and laughing with a group of people, and the other looked bitter to be there.

I felt Aunt Beatrice's arm around my shoulder, and through gritted teeth she reminded me of my mission. "Do not even dare to wander off anywhere that's five centimeter's away from one of the brothers. Do not even think of being your sarcastic self around them, and do not even dream of eating around them." Then she shoved a plate toward me. "Serve food and offer it to one."

I grabbed the plate, and watched my aunt disappear into the crowd. After making sure she was gone, the first thing I did was serve a plate for myself and search for Uncle Charlie. He was already chatting with this friends, playing cards. I gladly noted there was a stack reserved for me.

"Amy!" Uncle Charlie exclaimed.

"You're already twenty-three and still growing. I'm sure last time I saw you you were inches shorter," Alistair, my uncle's best friend, told me.

"Last time you saw me was last week," I told him, sitting next to my uncle. I grabbed my stack of cards and began to play with them.

"I see you've been practicing your tricks," Fiske, my former math teacher, noticed, nodding in approval. "Now, that's something worth watching. Everyone is fawning over those Kabras."

"Wasn't that the purpose of this party, though?" Alistair asked, putting a start to our card game.

"I only came for the food and because of Beatrice," Charlie informed his friends.

"I actually did come to welcome them," Alistair explained. "I will never forget how happy I felt when you people warmly welcomed me."

And so, they dove into old but funny memories. I laughed along with them, always having enjoyed their company. Until I spotted Aunt Beatrice's red hair.

I automatically stood up. "Gotta go."

"Hide," Uncle Charlie told me, sensing the threat.

I quickly spotted my friend, Madeleine, walking in with her mother. Grabbing the now empty plate, I ran toward her.

"Amy!" Madeleine exclaimed.

"You're late," I told her. "You missed my awesome skills with cards."

"I see them nearly everyday," Madeleine replied, laughing.

I wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Now, tell me the truth... why did you come here?"

Madeleine smiled, a glint of laughter in her brown eyes. "I was actually curious. The Kabras have been Pinewood's hot topic for a month, I think."

I shook my head. "At my house, it's been for more than a month. You know how Aunt Beatrice is. She found out some guys our age were moving here, and things went crazy."

"The Kabras are actually not that bad," Madeleine told me. "My mom and I didn't come in until now because we were talking to Mrs. Kabra and her daughter, Cheyenne. They seem like cold people at first, but they're actually quite nice. Sinead is currently harassing them into paying her attention, which is why I decided to come here. Your aunt was also there, but she left."

"I see," I replied, suddenly feeling as if Aunt Beatrice would appear behind me any second and roar at me for not following the mission. But her red hair was nowhere in sight.

"Looks like your sister has already caught some attention," Madeleine commented, pointing somewhere.

I followed her finger, and my eyes widened. One of the Kabra boys, the friendlier one, was smiling and talking to her. Nellie had always been shy, so her slight blush and the shy downward cast of her eyes was comprehensible.

"Wow... that's Nellie beauty to you," I said, still surprised. "Which one's him?"

"The oldest one, Theo," Madeleine informed me. "He's some kind of doctor, don't remember what. The thing is, he's already got a job at the clinic where my mom works. She says he is really nice and respectful, and always tries his best. Actually, the only bad thing she's got to say about him is that he's too nice. He can't say no to anyone, plus, he's too innocent. I bet he thinks all the girls have been approaching him to actually welcome him."

I laughed, still inspecting my sister with Theo. "I'd ship them."

The comment made Madeleine laugh. "I would, too. What'd be their couple name?"

"Hmm... Thellie?" I answered, garnering giggles from both of us.

And then I spotted Aunt Beatrice's enraged face. She was as red as her dress and hair, so it all matched. But I had no time to laugh.

"Gotta go," I told Madeleine.

I quickly grabbed a plate and began to serve food as quick as possible. I was supposed to give it to one of the Kabras.

And I had to do it fast. She was striding toward me, her eyes narrowed into a murderous glare.

I began to search for the forks, still keeping my eye on Aunt Beatrice. Thinking that they were probably at the small round table behind me, I turned around, when —_clash!_

Meat went flying everywhere, and I got barbecue sauce all over my shirt...

and on the other Kabra's shirt.

* * *

**Woo! So glad many people like Pride and Prejudice, because it's one of my favorite books :) Thanks for all the reviews by the way, hahaha. Well, I'll try to update soon. For now, bye!**


	3. A Respectful Eavesdropper

"Oops," I said, grimacing at his shirt.

The other Kabra stared in shock at me. "Oops?"

"It was an accident, and I'm _truly_ sorry," I continued, frowning in concern and repentance.

The other Kabra remained silent, gazing at his obviously designer shirt in horror.

I set my plate aside, and grabbed a bunch of napkins. I held them up in front of them.

He only looked at them, then gazed at me with a hint of a snarl in his lips.

It was then I realized how the party mood around us had completely disappeared. Everybody was staring at us —every eye was on us, every feeling of shock was aimed at us... and two giggles erupted nearby. From the corner of my eye, I could see Madison and Natalie muffling laughs. Close to them, Theo and Nellie were observing us. Theo was gazing at his brother, trying not to chuckle, and Nellie had simply blown up air into her cheeks.

And then I saw Aunt Beatrice.

Two things quickly made me leave the scene that time. One was the fact that I could feel the barbecue sticking onto my skin. Don't get me wrong, I love barbecue sauce. But when it's on food I eat.

And two, Aunt Beatrice's wide and proud smile. She definitely thought that had been a tactic, and soon, people could think that too. And I did not want to stoop to Sinead's level of desperation to get a boyfriend.

I glanced at the hallway leading to the bathroom, and pointed at it. "Once again, I'm so sorry. And if you'll excuse me, I need to go and take this barbecue sauce off me."

He looked even more disgusted. But what else did he want me to do? Beg on my knees for his forgiveness?

I quickly got there, and tied my reddish-brown hair up in a ponytail before splashing my shirt with cold water. The lightning of the bathroom made the freckles on my button shaped nose stand out more, making me look much more younger than my twenty-three years. People usually told me I looked sixteen, actually. Not that I cared. The less old, the better right?

Madeleine entered, smiling at me. "That was awesome."

"It was not a tactic, if you're wondering," I clarified, shaking my head at the thought.

"Oh, I know you too well to think of that," Madeleine replied, leaning against the bathroom sink. She crossed her arms in front of her sleeveless peplum shirt. "I was just saying Ian needed that splash of barbecue sauce. I could tell from the look of his eyes he was too proud of that Ralph Lauren shirt."

I pursed my lips in a small 'o', glancing at her in uncertainty.

"I think he had more, don't worry," Madeleine told me.

After helping me dry my shirt the most it could, we both walked out of the bathroom.

"Look, I gotta go... it's seven p.m. already, and my mom had actually told me we'd be leaving an hour earlier. How's that job search, by the way?" she asked, getting out her phone.

"There's actually a new preschool downtown that seemed interested when I called them. I'm supposed to go on an interview next week," I told her.

Madeleine grinned. "Now _that's_ awesome. Also, don't forget we are both enrolling Japanese lessons. So you need to tell me what'll be your work schedule so I can arrange the classes."

"What makes you so sure I'll get the job?" I asked, smiling.

"Because even though it doesn't look like it," she told me. "You're great with kids, and are a very responsible person. Now, see ya!"

"Bye," I replied, waving.

Before she had even left, my nose picked up a very distinguishable smell. Snapping my head to the right, my suspicions were confirmed. The Starlings's famous brownie cake had been brought out. And I was not about to let the Holts steal the cake like they did last time. Grabbing a nearby plate, I got there as quickly as possible. However, as soon as I was picking out my slice, I heard a pleading statement.

"Don't jeopardize your brother's happiness just because of an accident... it was not even Nellie, it was her sister," a blonde girl told Ian.

That was definitely about me. I set the plate down, straining my ear to listen.

"If her sister is an airhead, Cheyenne, then the Nellie girl must be too. And I don't want Theo associating with people like that dimwit who got barbecue sauce all over my shirt!" Ian hissed.

I did not even care he had called a straight A student a dimwit or airhead. What bothered me was the fact he had the courage to even think _Nellie_ could be an airhead.

"It was an accident," Cheyenne urged. "And that's just one of your million Ralph Lauren shirts!"

"Look, I know that you talked to the Nellie girl for five seconds, and therefore _must_ know her 'well'," Ian said, glaring at Cheyenne. "But one can tell a lot from one's family. And that girl who ruined my shirt was nothing but an attention-seeker with no common sense at all, who probably acts like that crazy aunt of hers-"

Only I could call Aunt Beatrice crazy, by the way. So I was not pleased with that statement.

"And spends time around good-looking rich boys as a hobby," Ian finished.

My mouth dropped wide open.

Ian turned around to set his plate on the table, and I quickly ducked, hiding underneath the table. I'm still not sure why I did that, but it definitely had to do with the fact that he had just trash-talked me in a way that wasn't even close to what my personality is like.

But then...

"Oh, Amy!" Aunt Beatrice exclaimed. "What are you doing underneath the table?"

Just my luck.

I stood up, hoping that Cheyenne and Ian had not even noticed. But they were right across from the table. Cheyenne gasped, and Ian looked down, pursing his lips. I quickly grabbed one of my diamond studs and let it slip to the ground.

"I lost one of my earrings," I told her, biting my lower lip. "And you know those hold a sentimental value, since they belonged to my mom."

Aunt Beatrice pointed to the diamond stud. "Oh, isn't that it?"

"Yes, it is!" I exclaimed, grinning. "You're my new hero."

"Oh," Aunt Beatrice breathed out, giggling.

I quickly bent down and picked it up. As soon as I got up, I smiled at the Kabra siblings. Trying to make them feel as if there were no hard feelings for the comments (far from true, actually), I chuckled. "My hobbies don't really include boys. My hobby is more along the lines of staying at home every night watching series from my laptop."

And then I realized how _not_ friendly that could've been heard. I chuckled and grabbed my cake, leaving the scene as quickly as possible.

Now outside, I sat on the steps, and bit a chunk off my brownie.

"Way to go," I whispered, glaring at the dark streets in front of me. I could spot my house from there, and wished more than anything else to be there.

"Aren't you the girl who got barbecue sauce all over my cousin?" a youthful voice asked next to me.

I turned to look at my right, where an olive-colored skin five-year-old was staring up at me with wide eyes.

"That's right... and I'm really sorry about that. I didn't mean to," I replied, handing him a piece of my brownie. "Want some?"

He gladly grabbed it and shoved it into his mouth. "Well, it would've been better if it had been on purpose. Ian is stupid."

I suddenly remembered all the things he said about me without even knowing me.

"Yeah, he is."

* * *

**See, like Amy in this story, I am one of those students who's part of every club and participates on every event (I also want to be a teacher :P). So not only was I really busy this week preparing for an upcoming event (and still am), but we also had midterms :/ So I did not have time to write the next chapter! However... I'm back :D Now, to answer some questions:**

**1. ChicaKabraLuvsU: This takes place on 2013, it definitely is Amian (I'm a huge shipper), and yes, Theo from Beyond the Grave has made his comeback hahahaha :P**

**2. Fanficlover1413: Yup, he's British!**

**3. The Gone Angel vs Slender Man: Yours was not a question, but I actually would like to reply LOL. I gave up reading P&P because I was confused, until I watched the movie (don't kill me for this). Once I did, I could relate the events from the book to the ones from the movie and therefore, understood what was going on hahahaha.**

**Well, that's it. Hopefully, I'll update soon :P Now, I'll go continue my nap...**


	4. A Respectful Hippy Daycare

With the daisy perched in her blonde waves, her make-up-less face, the loose, long-sleeved blouse, and the green long skirt with a Bohemian pattern, one could easily infer that Irina Spasky was nothing more than a hippy.

However, if you actually interacted with her, you'd infer she was a _crazy _hippy.

"Here, in Free Melody of a Toddler-" Yeah, that's the name of the school. I still don't remember how I did not catch a... unique vibe when they told me its name. "We aspire for the toddlers to find balance between mind and soul, to search into their hearts and find a way to free themselves from the evil chains of stress, and to find themselves... all before going to elementary. This way, we'll avoid confusion when they grow into teenagers. Unlike the rest, they'll be organized and will truly know who they are."

I smiled, nodding.

Some children were screaming and running around the room, playing with glitter. Suddenly, one tripped, and fell with a splat, sending glitter flying all around me.

"Toby, no running," Irina reminded him sweetly.

Toby began to cry. Crawling, he wrapped his arms around me and cried for his mommy.

I caressed his hair, gently hushing him. "Where does it hurt?"

Toby pointed to his knee. After finding no scrapes or red spots, I assumed it would either leave no sign or lightly bruise. But I could not tell a three-year-old that. So instead, I left behind my fear of bunnies (actually, fear of bunnies who went by the name Chocopuff, the daycare's pet that had thrown several menacing glances at me), and quickly grabbed the jumping bunny. I made it so its paw was caressing the knee. Stupid, I know. But it was having effect.

"See? Chocopuff is helping you out because he hates to see you cry," I told him.

Toby quickly wiped his tears, and hugged the bunny tightly. Too tightly.

I sent a mocking gaze at Chocopuff, who I swear sent me a glare.

Suddenly, the doors opened. In, came a kid, gazing around him as if he owned the place. He crossed his arms and placed himself in an I'm-a-celebrity pose. He could actually pass out as a young rapper.

And he was Ian's cousin.

Which is why, both Ian and Cheyenne appeared behind him.

"Oh, feathers! And glitter!" Irina exclaimed, jumping up. "We've got a new kid! What's your name and how old are you?"

"My name is Jonah," the kid answered. "And I'm five..."

"Oh, so you would only be joining us for a year if you do stay here," Irina cooed. She waved her arms at her surroundings. "Welcome to Free Melody of a Toddler! Right now, we're in art period, which is why you see feathers, glitter, paint and construction paper all around. But when we finish, we leave this class practically shining."

Jonah seemed to process this. Grabbing a bottle of glitter, he opened it and dumped the contents on Ian's legs.

I couldn't help but snicker, which is why Jonah noticed me.

"Hey, you're the cool girl who dumped barbecue sauce on my cousin!" he exclaimed, pointing at me.

My smile disappeared, since now Cheyenne's and Ian's eyes were on me. Cheyenne looked apologetic and friendly, and Ian looked annoyed... or surprised. Hard to tell with that snobby look of his.

"You work here?" the kid asked.

"I'm planning to," I told him. Sure, it was headed by a hippy. But it was only temporal. Plus, she looked nice... and I'd already grown to care for the children in the past five minutes.

"Then I want to go here!" Jonah told Cheyenne.

Irina giggled. "Well, feel free to look around. I'll be right back in a second. I need to check out some artists' works." She walked around the room in a manner that made it look as if she was floating, and stopped in front of a blonde. After inspecting her work, she grinned. "Oh my God! That truly is art... I just love it! That rat with flowers growing out as fur is simply so creative, original, and Earth-friendly!"

"It's you..."

I took in a deep breath. Guess I should get used to all that.

Cheyenne appeared behind me. I noticed that Ian had taken Jonah to tour around the school.

"Hey, just wanted to apologize for my brother's behavior-"

"It's okay," I cut in. "I will definitely pretend it was jet lag."

Cheyenne grinned. "Thank you."

"So," I begun, collecting my bag. "You planning on enrolling Jonah here? Never thought about it..."

"Jonah and Ian don't know, but I actually came looking for you."

My eyebrows shot up. "Really?"

"Picasso! Da Vinci!" Irina exclaimed nearby. "Those butterflies growing from the beehive are more than splendid! They are fa-bu-lo-so!"

"It's a beach."

"Yeah," Cheyenned continued. "Jonah actually talked to me about that 'awesome girl who splashed barbecue sauce on his cousin's shirt'. You see, even though Ian tries, he can never get on Jonah's good side... practically, no one can. Which is why, after hearing from your aunt what a great tutor you are-"

Thank you Aunt Beatrice for spreading information about me to just anyone with a handsome relative.

"I thought I could hire you for a few weeks. You see, we want to enroll Jonah at a very nice private school near the neighborhood. However, it needs an admission exam, and you can only take them once a year. So we want to make sure he will pass the exam..."

The idea came faster than you could say 'Hi'.

"Can I bring Nellie over some days?" I asked. "She usually assists me when her job's shift is in the afternoon."

"Oh, that would be splendid! Especially since I'd like to get to know her better," Cheyenne replied. "So, I'll call you to check how your schedule's doing... and then we'll make Jonah happy."

I smiled. "Sure."

I was distracted by Irina jumping around. "Splendid! Simply marvelous! Those bright colored baloons with the horse faces just make me melt, darlin'!"

"It's Chocopuff."

* * *

**Well, hey! Sorry for the delay, I've been sort of busy... By the way: "Those bright colored baloons with the horse faces just make me melt, darlin!" That phrase is all thanks to ChicaKabraROXoxo creativity ;P**

**Now, to answer some questions:**

**Kanastasia: I'm not sure if I might've made a mistake, I'll check later... but here is a family diagram:**

**-Cahills: Uncle Charlie, Aunt Beatrice, Dan, Nellie, Natalie and Reagan. If you count Saladin, he's part of the family too. Forget Madison, that was a mistake of mine :P**

**-Kabras: Mr. and Mrs. Kabra, Cheyenne, Theo, Ian. Jonah is their little cousin.**

**-Holts: Just mentioned... I'll see if they make an appearance later.**

**-Starlings: Mrs. and Mr. Starling, Sinead, and the twins.**

**(If you're confused about anything else, tell me!)**

**Lovely SOS: I have not, but I'll check it out. In fact, I think a friend of mine did mention a Pride and Prejudice youtube series... and yes, I was not comfortable with the personality swaps, either. But I did want Nellie to have an important role in this story, because I like her, so I made her the goody-goody. **

**Well, that's it... see you next time!**


	5. A Respectful 'Tutoring' Lesson

"It feels as if we're going to school again," Nellie told me, happily swinging her bag. But it was not the bright, fresh morning that had her in a cheery mood. It was the fact that she was about to see Theo.

Natalie sensed it, too. Adjusting her school's bag strap around her shoulder, she smiled knowingly. And in a sing-song voice, cooed, "The-_o_!"

"Shut up," Nellie said, playfully shoving Natalie.

"Hey, this is a brand new shirt. And I don't want you to wrinkle it," Natalie demanded. But she was still smiling.

"Please, no boy talk," Reagan begged, scrunching her nose in disgust. "I'm trying out for the soccer team today, and I don't want to have my head filled with mushy, romantic stuff."

That day was the beginning of tomboy week for Reagan.

"I agree with Reagan!" Dan exclaimed, not turning to look at us. He said he didn't want to hear any girl talk, so he was walking a few steps ahead of us. However, his plan had definitely failed. He had probably heard everything we talked about that short walk.

"Well, Reagan," I said, patting her head. "You won't have to. We've arrived at the Kabra mansion so you three can now walk peacefully to the bus stop."

"There's still airhead Natalie," Reagan said, frowning in displeasure.

Natalie humphed. "Just because I don't talk with weirdos like you doesn't mean I'm an airhead."

"I'm not a weirdo, you stupid flirt!" Reagan fought back.

"Who told you that? Aunt Beatrice? Because I'm so not a flirt," Natalie snapped. "Boys just find me pretty and want to talk to me, and I'm nice, so I talk back."

"You're not pretty or nice," Dan chimed in.

"Shut up-"

"I'm sorry, but how old are you guys?" I cut in.

"Sixteen," Natalie replied with great air.

"Thirteen."

"Eleven..."

"No eight-year-olds?" I proceeded to ask.

My three younger siblings suddenly predicted what was coming next, so they simply remained silent.

"Now go catch that bus and do your best at school," I told them, patting Reagan's back.

Nellie and I waited until we could see them reach the nearby bus stop to step inside the Kabras' vast garden. We were instantly met by Jonah. He was smiling, holding a platter of barbecue ribs.

"These are for you, Amy. I will only study until you reenact the scene with Ian at the Starlucks' dinner last week," Jonah told me.

"It's Starling," I murmured, grabbing the platter. Sighing, I inspected it. "These are too good to be wasted on someone like Ian."

And that was the truth.

Jonah laughed, falling on his back. "Good one! I guess you're right!" The boy suddenly spotted Nellie and stopped laughing. His brows furrowed. "Who are you?"

"I'm Nellie," she replied, smiling sweetly. "Amy's older sister."

"Is she on your good side?" Jonah asked me.

"Totally," I replied.

"Then welcome," Jonah said in a British accent. I guess he was trying to imitate his cousins.

We all walked to the front door, where Cheyenne was waiting. After greeting us, she let us in, where we found a smiling Theo and a serious Ian. Good thing I was going to spend some time at the library, or I'd receive more glares from the latter.

After I saw Theo approach Nellie and welcome her with a dorky joke (to which she laughed, of course), I knew it was time to set my plan in motion. What plan? The one to get Theo and Nellie together. Why do you thing I invited her to come along? I never did in my tutoring lessons. In the first place, I never gave any tutoring lessons to people outside my family.

Too bad I didn't know how to escape with Jonah to the library and leave Nellie behind.

Luckily, I woke up as a quick-thinking person that day.

"A piano!" I exclaimed, pointing at the grand instrument by the elegant yet cozy welcoming room. "Nellie, haven't you always wanted to play the piano?"

"You mean the-"

"Of course!" I exclaimed, grinning. I turned to look at Cheyenne. "Maybe you'd like to teach her some things while I set things up for Jonah?"

"Actually, I'm not the pianist," Cheyenne informed us. She pointed at Theo, whose eyes brightened. "He is."

Jackpot. Actually, more than jackpot.

From the corner of my eyes, I could see Ian frowning. He crossed his arms in an indifferent manner. However, I ignored him, and gestured at Nellie with my hands. "Then, she'd definitely love some lessons. Right, Nellie?"

My sister's cheeks had suddenly turned pink. But I didn't wait for an answer, I just patted her back and left with Jonah to the library.

To which I didn't know its location.

After five minutes of wondering around the house, I felt as if I'd gotten lost in the desert. Suddenly, I was both thirsty and hungry.

"Are you sure you don't know where it is?" I asked Jonah.

"Why would I want to know where the library is?" he asked. "I only care about my room, the kitchen, and the way outside."

I nodded. I did not want to interrupt the two lovebirds at their piano lessons, so I decided to keep searching.

"Lost?" A hideous voice asked.

Ian's.

I turned around, not even caring to plaster a smile in my face. "Actually-"

"The library is the other way around," Ian cut in, pursing his lips. "Theo sent me to help."

So he knew... and yet, he didn't come to help. Probably to stay with Nellie. That was good.

"We don't need your help, dimwit," Jonah said.

"Actually, we do," I muttered. Turning back to look at Ian, I finally decided to smile. "Thank you, then. It'd be great if you took us to the library."

Ian simply sighed and motioned with his head to follow us. After we got to the library (which was only three minutes from where I was, so I wasn't so far off), Jonah began to roll on the floor, pretending to be a ninja in a mission to destroy books. My brother still did the same.

I calmly sat on a table and began to unpack my teaching materials, a.k.a the stuff Dan used when he was learning to read and stuff.

"Aren't you gonna stop him?" Ian asked me, staring in disgust at his cousin.

"Nope," I replied, arranging my materials. "He'll finish when he's tired, so he won't be too hyper when I begin teaching. Plus, I need to organize myself."

"You do know kids well."

I turned to look at him. Was he trying to hold a conversation with me? I gazed at him as he kept inspecting Jonah, who was instead now jumping around, screaming. I know I sound stupid for saying this... but maybe... maybe he regretted misjudging me? And maybe he-

"And you also know how to help your sister trap guys," he suddenly added.

I frowned. "Excuse me?"

"I know what you're doing," he told me, narrowing his amber eyes at me. "I know you're trying to set up Nellie with my brother. This whole thing is a plan of yours and your family's! Your aunt probably knew we wanted to enroll Jonah at that prestigious academy, so she mentioned you were a tutor, when you've probably never done it before. Then, you came up with that lie that your sister needed to come along to assist you. And when Cheyenne agreed, you probably returned home to stalk Theo on Facebook and find out what he likes! Hence, the piano comment."

My mouth was wide open when he finished. Not because I was shocked at his accusations, but because he had came up with a theory that resembled real life. However, I was not going to let him know that. One, because I only came up with my plan at the daycare and was not part of Aunt Beatrice's plan. And two, I do stalk people in Facebook, but I don't admit it. Even if it's true. So why would I admit to a stalking I didn't do?

"That's probably the most stupid thing I've heard in my entire life," I simply said.

"Deny it as much as you want, but I know it's true," he said, a maniac smile in his lips. "So you're gonna finish your lessons today, and then tell Cheyenne that you can't continue. I don't want fortune-hunters in my house."

"Hey, I do believe in getting paid after a day's work-"

"You know I'm not talking about_ that_," Ian interrupted.

"Do you even know us? How can you accuse my family of something like that?" I asked. Sure, I wanted Nellie to get closer to Theo. But not because of his money.

"I've already met people like you who've tried to get close to my family, and I'm not letting it happen again," Ian menaced.

"The last thing I'd want to do is get close to your family because I don't want to be associated with _you_," I snapped back.

Jonah was now bouncing around. And Ian was scowling.

"You leave this afternoon, and never come back," Ian told me.

My phone rang. I quickly got it out and answered the call. Giving one last glare at the British idiot, I sighed, trying to calm my anger down. "Yes?"

"Hey, Cheyenne just invited me to stay over for dinner. They're making pasta!" Nellie told me, excitedly. I could hear the happiness in her tone of voice. "Please tell me you're planning to stay, too."

I glanced at Ian. In any other case, I would've left Nellie alone. But I wanted to annoy him.

"Sure, I'd love to eat dinner here," I replied, glaring at Ian.

Ian stood up with a humph, and stomped away.

Not even a sixteen-year-old did that. And I know. I've got a crazy one at my house.

* * *

Right, here is the next chapter. I wanted to drop by and say that I might not update next weekend... the thing is, I'm participating on this international school thing, and I'm going on a trip this Wednesday for it (nervous as heck!), and not coming back until Monday morning... after days of not sleeping LOL.

Well, to answer some questions or comments:

**ChicaKabraROXoxo:** Behold, Evan will appear soon. And for those who hate him... you'll hate him even more. Not sure about Casper... but Vespers will be mentioned. Not in the family-who-wants-to-take-over-the-world context, of course.

**books R fun:** 'A Respectful Tutoring Lesson'? As you can see, I used your idea and named this chapter that way :P


End file.
